Foster's rule

[faw-sterz rool, fos-terz]

noun

Biology.

1. a theory asserting that members of a species will evolve into smaller or larger versions of themselves depending on available land area and resources as well as predator populations: Foster’s rule explains the phenomena of insular dwarfism and insular gigantism.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Foster's rule¹

Named in 1964 after J. Bristol Foster (born 1936), Canadian biologist

Example Sentences

Indonesia's island of Flores is a remarkable laboratory for the island effect, also called "Foster's rule," based on observations by mammalogist J. Bristol Foster in the 1960s.

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